


For Want of a Hammer

by faithharkness



Series: Reel Merlin fics [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, M/M, Romance, challenge community fills, reelmerlin, supporting characters writing own backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-20
Updated: 2012-09-20
Packaged: 2017-11-14 16:29:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithharkness/pseuds/faithharkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwaine may be the heir apparent, but he has a lot to learn about not being a swaggering braggart.  And the lessons taught by those who love us are often the most painful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Want of a Hammer

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the LJ reel_merlin community. My film prompt was Thor and I had a terribly good time writing it. It's the first fic I've posted here to AO3 and I am both excited and nervous.
> 
> Please note this is based on a film, as part of a challenge. I make no claim to own any of this. Although Colin Morgan did hi-five me once...

**Prologue**  
“In a land of myth and a time of legend—” he paused, rudely cut off by a snort from his eldest son. “Something wrong, Gwaine?” King Lot asked, his eyebrow raised.

Gwaine rolled his eyes with all the emphasis a ten-year-old could muster. “It’s a bit…hokey, that beginning,” he explained.

“When _you_ have a grand epic to impart as a bedtime story, you can pick the opening.”

“Come on, Gwaine. I wanna hear how Da vanquished the Darklings and sent them back to their own Realm,” Mordred, Gwaine’s younger brother, protested.

“Quite,” King Lot agreed.

Gwaine huffed, but smiled as he settled back down next to Mordred, cuddling the younger boy closer to his side.

The king smiled at his boys and continued on with his tale of how he had finally beaten the Darklings out of their quest for dominance over other Realms. It had been a long-fought war, centering mostly upon the Realm of Kobol. Both Darklings and Lot’s own knights had seemed godlike to the poor creatures inhabiting Kobol. He had visited the Realm a few times since the great vanquishing and had heard the tales spun about him and his knights. He hadn’t made one of those sojourns in many years; Freya thought it more important to stay close to home to raise his sons in the proper mold than to keep reliving his glory years.

As he watched his boys’ eyes droop as they listened to their favorite tale, King Lot could not help but think his wife had made the wisest call.

 **Part I**  
Gwaine had been waiting for this day his whole life. At least, since the first time he’d seen his father wield a sword. Before he could even properly walk, Gwaine had been scurrying through the palace (to the chagrin of the seamstresses, who could not salvage the knees and elbows and—occasionally—bellies of his clothes), intent to be where the action and noise were. He‘d charm his father’s men with his big brown eyes, earning him a perch on someone’s shoulders or his father’s chair. He would watch for hours, fascinated and rapt, as his father and the other knights sparred and enacted battle strategies.

The first time Gwaine held a sword was on the eve of what would be his father’s final battle with the Darklings. Gwaine had sensed a new tension in the air as his father’s men sparred that day. He had walked over on newly-steady legs and tugged at his father’s hand. When Lot had looked down, Gwaine had stared at him with determined eyes and clearly stated,

“Gwaine help.”

Lot had nodded solemnly and gestured for Kay to bring him one of the lighter training swords. He handed it to his son and began going through the training moves he’d watched for countless days. Lot was pleased with how much Gwaine had learned watching them, and how naturally he took to swordplay. Once Lot was satisfied with Gwaine’s basic tactics, he sent Gwaine off to guard his mother, Freya, in Lot’s stead.

King Lot had returned from battle scarred but victorious, declaring the Darklings defeated and driven back to their own world. Their Queen, Morgause, fallen and diminished by the loss of her power’s source, seized by Lot as a spoil of war.

It was shortly after the Battle of Darkling Wood that Gwaine was introduced to his baby brother, Mordred. Gwaine had been thrilled with the prospect of having someone to protect with his newly-smithed sword.

As the boys grew, they could often be found together. More accurately, Mordred could be found shadowing his brother through the palace and its surrounding lands. Once Gwaine started spending more time with his age mates, continuing his training to be a warrior-king, Mordred began to be schooled by Freya in the magical arts, for which Mordred seemed to have a special affinity.

It came to pass that as Gwaine became more boisterous and outgoing, Mordred became quieter and easier to miss if you weren’t looking for him. The only exception to Mordred’s behavior were the times Gwaine managed to coax his little brother into spending time with him and his friends, Elena and the Warriors Three. The five warriors could usually persuade Mordred to participate in some mischief, which was another thing Mordred seemed to have a special talent for. One could always tell when Mordred had “tweaked” one of his brother’s pranks.

As Gwaine began undertaking campaigns of his own, he often insisted Mordred accompany him to help plan and execute their strategies. They were quite the successful team, with Mordred’s tricks and Gwaine’s martial finesse.

Gwaine’s latest victory, in a small skirmish on the world of the elves, was the final leg in Gwaine’s quest to be named heir to the throne. While it was true that he had been the heir presumptive from the moment of his birth, the Druids were a people of ceremony. Therefore, he had worked long and hard toward this day and this moment.

His coronation.

He stood at the far end of the throne room, staring down the walkway lined by the entire court and most of the citizens of Lothian. At his father’s gesture, he would begin the long walk to the throne. He had dressed for the day in most of his finest regalia. He wore the leather pants and soft cotton shirt he’d worn under his armor in the battle—cleaned, of course. One did not go to their coronation smelling of sweat and blood and death; unless it was a battlefield coronation, of course. The armor he wore was only seen during ceremonies, as it was thin and would only stop the clumsiest of attacks. He also wore the ceremonial helm of the firstborn—a flashy, shining thing meant only for court and negotiations; one would get themselves killed wearing it into battle, as it allowed the wearer almost no peripheral vision. He had even conceded to wearing that cape, a soft blue material that swung out majestically behind him. He hated the cape; it got in the way of his swing and he could easily think of a dozen ways it could get him killed. But Elena had said it looked dashing and Mordred had readily agreed. And as it seemed there were so few things he did that earned a genuine smile from his brother, Gwaine had agreed to wear it.

King Lot shifted his scepter and nodded to Gwaine, who returned the nod and began his march. The crowd began to cheer as he walked and Gwaine felt himself swept up in the emotion. He unsheathed his sword, Dragon’s Breath, and held it above his head, brandishing it a few times as he walked, to the utter joy of the crowd. His gaze caught those of the Warriors Three—Elyan, Gareth and Bedivere—who bellowed his name in victory. Elena, beside her comrades, rolled her eyes and he could clearly see her lips move as she said, “Oh, please.” 

Mordred stood a few steps down from their mother, and while Mordred’s gaze and visage held the proper solemnity for the occasion, Freya’s brilliant smile nearly lit the room. Gwaine winked at her, causing her face to twitch as she held back a laugh. He at last stopped before his father, re-sheathing his sword and bowing low before kneeling at the base of the royal dais. The crowd came to sudden silence at the movement.

“Sir Gwaine, son of Lot,” King Lot said, his voice carrying throughout the hall. “You have proven yourself a protector of the throne, a warrior in battle and a leader among men. Do you swear to uphold these duties as long as you draw breath?”

“I swear!” Gwaine said, lifting his head to meet his father’s gaze.

“And do you swear to defend this Realm and all those who ask our aid?”

“I swear!”

“And do you swear to serve this throne and its people the rest of your life?”

Gwaine unsheathed his sword and held it over his head. “I swear!”

Lot nodded and lifted his head to stare out at the crowd. “Then, by the strength of my crown and power of your sword, the Dragon’s Breath, I name you—”

Gwaine held his breath as his father cut himself off.

Lot turned his head and met his son’s eyes. “Darklings.”  
*****

Three Darklings had dispatched from their home world to infiltrate the palace of Lothian and steal back the source of their Lady’s power. The Chalice had been stolen in battle, and if they succeeded in returning it to her, not only would they be heroes among their people, but the Darklings would also regain their place among the stars.

The coronation of Sir Gwaine had drawn the attention of almost everyone in the castle, leaving the lower passageways—mostly used by castle staff trying to get from one place to another quickly and invisibly—almost deserted. There were still a few guards patrolling the area, but not enough that they could not slip by unnoticed or, if need be, kill to protect their mission.

They had only to traverse these passageways and make their way down to King Lot’s treasure room. They had been warned to not allow themselves to be distracted by the other riches within the room. Their only goal was to obtain the Chalice and return it home.

The first Darkling looked at his comrades as they breached the treasure room. They had come upon only two guards in their quest. In the way of their people, he expressed his worries to his comrades mentally. The second Darkling, cocksure in his bravery, shrugged off the question and moved further into the treasure room. The third followed his lead, wanting glory more than logic. The first Darkling followed his comrades more slowly, not wanting to be left out of the victory, but cautious in his step.

His caution paid off briefly, allowing him to dispatch a guard which had hidden in the shadows, hoping to take the Darklings from behind. As the second Darkling laid hands upon the Chalice, they all heard a noise out of place in the stone and water of the treasure room. A sound of branches sprouting and wrapping around each other. The Darklings turned to see the wall shifting; there were indeed branches overlapping each other, which were now pulling back as bright light flowed between the branches.

They barely had time to recognize the figure that stepped out—a metal knight in resplendent green, his sword raised for battle. Their gazes were locked on that sword, so they never saw the knight’s eyes light with green fire.

They only felt it as it struck them down in an agonizing death.  
****

Gwaine kicked the burnt body of one of the Darklings in frustration. They had ruined his day _and_ seen fit to die before he could personally punish them for the insult.

“The Darklings must pay!” he nearly shouted.

“They have paid. With their lives,” Lot said calmly, resting his fingers against the Chalice.

“These three, yes. But we must show all the Darklings—and their queen—that Lothian will not tolerate such aggression.”

“Three Darklings is hardly aggression, my son. More like a scouting party. A test of our defenses.” He turned to face Gwaine, whose anger shone out of him, casting Mordred in shadow.

“A test which we passed, wouldn’t you say, Mordred?” Lot asked.

“Yes, Father,” Mordred replied.

“That is not the point!” Gwaine argued.

“Then what is the point?” Lot asked, exasperated. He had thought Gwaine had finally managed to find the balance between his temper and his duties.

“They cannot be allowed to think they may come into our palace any time they please! This is tantamount to an act of war!”

“It is an act of a few Darklings, who have paid for their mistake. We will speak no more of it,” Lot said, signaling to his guards to clean up the bodies and dispose of them.

“But, Father—”

“No more!” Lot roared, without turning to look at his sons as he swept from the room.

Gwaine looked at Mordred, who merely shrugged. Gwaine let out a strangled shout of rage as he stormed from the room.

Mordred gave the Chalice one last considering look before following his brother out, hoping he could find a way to calm him before Gwaine confronted their father again.  
*****

Elena heard Gwaine before she saw him, and could tell from the stomping footsteps that he was still angry. She had expected no less, but had hoped that the seriousness of the day would lend him some maturity.

The way he flung his helm across the room as he entered shattered that hope. Mordred followed him closely, shooting Elena an apologetic look as he entered. She smiled softly at him and shrugged. She knew there was only so much any of them—even Mordred—could do to calm Gwaine in one of his fits.

“What has happened?” Elena said quietly as Mordred joined her.

“Darklings. A small group tried to get to the Chalice. The Green Knight stopped them,” Mordred said, his eyes tracking Gwaine’s angry pacing.

“It is too bad the Knight doesn’t allow us prisoners to question.”

“When it comes to the Chalice, I don’t think we can take the chance.”

She nodded. “I’ll go find Elyan, Bedivere and Gareth. Perhaps they can help us pull Gwaine out of this mood. Would you keep an eye on him?”

“Always.”

Elena gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went to find her comrades.

Mordred watched Gwaine pace for a few more minutes, before his older brother dropped down to sprawl on the steps to the balcony. He slowly walked over and sat gracefully beside him.

“I agree with you, if it means anything to you,” Mordred said.

“Your opinion always matters.”

Mordred gave him a small smile. “I think Father is too set in his ways. I think he wants to maintain the victory of Darkling Wood as long as he can. If he goes back, then it opens everything up again.”

Gwaine turned and gave him a brilliant smile. “Of course! If _he_ goes back.”

Mordred put his hands up. “No. No, no, no. That is not what I meant.”

Gwaine put his hands on Mordred’s face and pulled him close, planting a loud, smacking kiss on his forehead. “As always, you are a brilliant strategist, Mordred! We shall do this!”

“Do what?” Elyan asked as he, Elena, Gareth and Bedivere entered the room.

“Go to Darkling Wood!” Gwaine replied.

Gareth paused with a cup of wine halfway to his mouth. “Come again?”

“We shall go to Darkling Wood and find the reason for the insult the Darklings have paid to us this day.”

“That is a really bad idea, Gwaine. One I am sure your father would not approve of,” Elyan said.

“Bad idea? It’s suicide!” Bedivere argued.

Gwaine rose and walked over to his friends. “Gareth! Who has led you on countless conquests of the most tantalizing foods known to the palate?”

Gareth shrugged. “You have.”

“And Elyan, who has led you on campaigns introducing you to new weapons for you to master?”

“You, Gwaine.”

“Bedivere, who helped you win the hands of fair maidens by teaching you to dance?”

“And loaning him hair product,” Elena added.

“And that,” Gwaine acknowledged.

“You did, Gwaine,” Bedivere replied, but shot a glare at Elena.

“And Elena, when the knights said no woman could be as fierce in battle as they, who proved them wrong?”

“ _I_ did,” she replied.

Gwaine paused. “Well, yes, but I supported you!”

Elena rolled her eyes.

“So I see no reason why the sons of Lot cannot go into the Darkling Wood accompanied by Lady Elena and the Warriors Three and come out triumphant!”

Elena could see several reasons, but knew none of them would deter Gwaine. It was therefore safer for all involved if they went with Gwaine, rather than after him.

Gwaine grinned as he saw acceptance on his friends’ faces.

Elena returned his smile with a sweet one of her own. “Now all we have to do is convince Taliesin to grant us passage.”

“Damn,” Gwaine muttered.

“Leave Taliesin to me,” Mordred said.

“If anyone can charm him, it would be Mordred,” Gareth agreed.

“Then it is settled! To Avalon’s Bridge!” Gwaine said, sweeping out of the room.

“This is going to end badly,” Elyan said to Elena as they followed Gwaine.

She merely nodded in reply.  
*****

The small troupe approached the Keeper of the Bridge, Taliesin, with their heads held high and purpose in their step. They stopped before him, Elena and the Warriors Three bowing their heads subtly.

“Good eve, Taliesin,” Mordred said as he stepped forward. “We are on our way—”

“You are not dressed thickly enough,” Taliesin interrupted.

“Beg pardon?” Mordred asked.

Taliesin looked them over, noting they were wearing slightly more than what was considered “casual” armor. Not so much to draw attention to the fact that they were scouting for war, but enough that a clear eye could see what they were about.

Taliesin had always had a clear eye.

“The branches of Darkling Wood dig deep and catch hard. Out of your armor, you are not dressed thickly enough,” Taliesin explained.

Gwaine stepped forward until he was toe-to-toe with Taliesin. “Enough. We mean to bring the fight to the Darklings. Will you open the bridge?”

“Never,” Taliesin began bringing his staff into a fighting rest, “have the lands of Lothian been breached without my knowledge. I would know how it was done,” he finished, his gaze flicking to Mordred and back.

Gwaine laughed and clapped Taliesin on the shoulder. “Come, then, and allow us passage across the Bridge.”

Taliesin nodded before stepping back. With one last glance over Gwaine and his compatriots, the Keeper turned and led the way to the gatehouse.

Mordred’s fingers itched as they walked into the gatehouse. He knew magic opened and closed the Bridge, but he didn’t know how the magic worked. He desperately wanted to take Taliesin’s staff and open the Bridge himself and learn to manipulate the magic joining the Realms at the Keeper’s whim.

“I will open the Bridge long enough to let you through. When you have finished your...excursion, call for me and I shall open it again to allow your return home. But know this, if there is a possibility that danger will follow you back through, I shall know it. And I will not open the Bridge for you,” Taliesin said as he prepared to open the Bridge.

Gareth coughed. “Couldn’t you, er, just leave the Bridge open for us? Less watching for you and we can just trot back when we’re ready.”

“To leave the Bridge open would spell the destruction of the Darkling Wood. Something which would not go unnoticed by the other Realms.”

“Could have just said no,” Gareth muttered.

“Enough! Open the Bridge, Taliesin, and wish us good hunting,” Gwaine ordered.

“Be careful, young prince. More than one knight has met his end at the hand of a Darkling spell.”

“I have no plans to die this day,” Gwaine scoffed.

“None do,” Taliesin said, but his reply was drowned out by the sound of the Bridge howling open.  
*****

Elena opened her mouth wide to pop her ears. She truly hated traveling by the Bridge.

Gwaine laughed heartily. “I shall never tire of that!”

Elena rolled her eyes at Mordred before falling in step with him. They followed Gwaine through the wood, knowing he would lead them straight to the crumbling fortress of the Darklings’ queen.

Gwaine kept his eyes moving as he led his small force through the woods. He could feel eyes on him, but also knew the Darklings’ previous defeat at the hands of the Druids would make them wary. He could expect to feel them watching all the way to the gates of the fortress. He did not expect an attack, but he would not be caught off guard.

“I don’t like the looks of this,” Elyan said softly as they reached the fortress.

The fortress had not been rebuilt since the Battle of Darkling Wood; it lay in ruins, crumbling beneath the weight of broken stone and dying branches.

“You’ve come along way to die in the Wood, young prince,” came a voice soft with power.

Gwaine looked up to see Morgause perched atop a ruined wall. Her blonde hair blew gently around her dark green face, playing in the breeze but never obscuring her vision.

“I am here not to die, but to address a grievous wrong perpetrated by your scouts.”

“And what wrong would that be?”

“The scouts you sent into Lothian to steal from us. I must inform you that they met their end at the hand of the Green Knight.”

“I sent no scouts, young prince. If your kingdom has suffered an insult, I would look to your own home for the cause.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the House of Lot is rife with traitors.”

“Come down here and say that to my face! That I may teach you the error of your words with my hands.”

She lifted a golden eyebrow. “You came for answers and you have them. Do you really want to start a war that you will lose just because you didn’t like the answers?”

Gwaine took a step forward, but was stopped by Mordred’s hand on his arm. 

“Look around us,” Mordred hissed into his ear.

Without moving his head, Gwaine took in his surroundings. It seemed that those who had watched their progress had all converged on the perimeter of the fortress. It was clear they waited only for a signal from their queen. Morgause may have lost her Chalice, and with it much of her power, but she didn’t need magic to give orders.

“You are right, my lady. We came for answers and we have found them. We bid you adieu,” Mordred said, pulling on Gwaine’s arm.

Gwaine snorted at his brother, but turned to walk back the way they had come, trusting Elena to watch his back.

“Yes, run home, princess,” Morgause called after him.

“Damn,” Mordred said as he watched his brother stop and stiffen sharply.

Elena and the Warriors Three were far more vulgar in their muttered responses.

Gwaine laughed and unsheathed Dragon’s Breath. He advanced on the first Darkling that moved towards him. He was disappointed with how quickly the Darkling fell to his sword. The second and third put up a good fight and before he knew it, he was having more fun than he had in a while.

Elena cursed Gwaine under her breath as she fought with two Darklings. While she enjoyed the thrill of a fight—especially against opponents who seemed to think she’d be easy pickings—she would rather the fight be one that wouldn’t put their necks on the line with King Lot.

Bedivere laughed as he swung his axe, trying very hard not to be disconcerted when limbs seemed to disappear in dark smoke before reforming away from the arc of his blade. He gasped as one grabbed his forearm. He looked down and watched as his skin began to turn a deep, dark green. He pulled his dagger with his free hand and stabbed the Darkling through the eye. 

“Don’t let them touch you!” he shouted to the others.

Mordred heard Bedivere’s warning just as one of the Darklings grabbed his arm. He watched with horror as his flesh begin to turn dark. He flung the Darkling off him with a flash of magic before looking back at the wound. He swallowed hard as his flesh turned back to its normal shade. He looked up and caught Morgause staring down at him.

“Mordred!” Elena shouted.

Mordred ducked as another Darkling came at him, all thoughts of the fallen queen gone for the moment. He used his magic to distract the Darkling, reappearing behind him and killing him quickly. He turned at a shout of agony and saw Elyan run through with a wooden spear. He watched Elena run over to help Elyan, then turned to find his brother.

Gwaine was laughing as he fought four Darklings at once. “Is that all you’ve got?” he shouted.

Mordred fervently wished his brother knew when to shut up.

A shrill roar came from behind the fortress and they all looked up to see a large shape rising into the sky.

“A dragon. They have a dragon,” Mordred said, awed.

“Time to go, Gwaine!” Bedivere shouted.

“I can slay the beast!” Gwaine protested as he put down the last Darkling on him.

Mordred grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt. “What part of if danger could follow us back, we’re stuck here was unclear?”

“We have to get Elyan to the healers!” Elena argued as she and Gareth approached with Elyan slung between them.

“A smart retreat is better than a crispy defeat,” Bedivere added.

Gwaine finally nodded, taking Elyan’s arm from Elena as they ran for the clearing. They could hear the shouts of the Darklings and the shriek of the dragon as they ran. 

“Taliesin! Open the Bridge!” Gwaine shouted as they made the clearing just ahead of their pursuers.

Nothing happened.

“Taliesin!” Mordred called.

Gwaine and Gareth looked at each other over Elyan’s head. 

“This is problematic,” Gareth said.

Gwaine nodded and moved to set Elyan down so they had hands free to fight.

They were interrupted by a clap of thunder and a bright light as the Bridge deposited a traveler.

“Father!” Gwaine shouted with glee. “Come, we can put a final end to them. Their dragon cannot hold up to our might!”

“Quiet, boy!” Lot said sharply.

“King Lot. So good of you to come. Your advance guard was not faring so well,” Morgause said.

“This is no guard, but the actions of mere boys. Would you have us lose our truce over the actions of a few hotheads?”

Morgause smirked at him. “Keep them on a tighter leash, King Lot.”

King Lot nodded and reactivated the Bridge, taking the Druids back home.

“Get him to the healers!” Lot shouted once they had reappeared in the gatehouse.

Elena, Bedivere and Gareth nodded as they hefted Elyan between them and hurried off to the healing halls.

Lot pulled Taliesin’s staff out of the Bridge mechanism, shutting it down. He tossed the staff to Taliesin, who left to take up his position guarding the entrance to the gatehouse.

Mordred looked on in quiet interest as Lot whirled on them, fury crackling around him.

Lot narrowed his eyes at his eldest son. “I knew you were prideful, boy, but this time you’ve taken a step to far!”

Gwaine seethed. “ _I_? I have taken a step too far? They invaded our palace! They started this war; I was only—”

“There is no war! These are the actions of an arrogant child, _not_ of the heir to the throne!”

“We cannot be afraid to act, Father. The Darklings must learn to fear me as they have feared you.”

“Pride and vanity,” Lot said, his voice holding sadness. “You have learned nothing of a warrior’s patience. I have taught you better.”

“The old ways are done, Father. The other Realms laugh at us as we sit toasting in our palace and allow our borders to be breached,” Gwaine snarled.

“You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!” Lot roared.

“And you are an old man and a fool!”

Mordred twitched at the violence in his brother’s voice.

Lot took a deep breath. “I see; it is my failing as a father.”

“Father,” Mordred began.

Lot held up his hand. “No, Mordred. Your brother has betrayed the command of his king.” He turned to face Gwaine. “Your arrogance and stupidity have opened our peaceful Realm to horror and war.”

Lot walked back to the Bridge mechanism and shoved his sword in, activating it. “You, Gwaine, son of Lot, are unworthy of your armor,” he said, holding his hand out.

Gwaine’s armor and battle leathers fell away, leaving him in soft breeches and a thin shirt.

“For the loved ones you have betrayed, I take your power.”

Dragon’s Breath flew from Gwaine’s hand and into Lot’s.

“I, King Lot, Defender of this Realm and Protector of Lothian, cast you out!”

Gwaine shouted before he was pulled into the Bridge and shot far from home.

“Father!” Mordred called, turning away from the Bridge to face him.

Lot was holding Dragon’s Breath in front of his face. “Whosever holds this sword, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Sir Gwaine of the Druids,” he whispered against the blade.

For a moment, a dragon scale glowed on the blade before disappearing.

Mordred watched in horror as Lot threw the sword after Gwaine before closing the bridge.

“Father,” Mordred said.

“Not now, Mordred. I’ve just lost one of my sons.”

 **Part II**  
Dr. Merlin Emrys was sweating it. _Really_ sweating it. He had been observing the stars, the shifts in their patterns and assorted anomalies for most of his life. Most recently, he had been concentrating on this small patch of the Brecon Beacons and the unusual activity in the skies above. He knew he was right; he knew there was something significant, something paradigm-altering, happening out here in the wilds of the Brecon Beacons. Yet he was still feeling the sheer, unadulterated terror of inviting his mentor (and leading expert in the field), Dr. Gaius Williams-Baltar, to review not only his findings, but his evidentiary process. 

Getting Gaius to one of your research expeditions was not only difficult; it was the Holy Grail of practical astrophysics. If he failed now, he would be a joke in scientific circles for ages. Dr. Williams-Baltar had been here for three nights already, and the stars—the one constant in his life—had failed Merlin so far. 

A sharp poke to his ribs drew him out of his increasingly hysterical mental ramblings. He glanced over at his research assistant, Gwen Leodegrance, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of Merlin’s tricked out Land Rover. He gave her a soft smile in thanks. She rolled her eyes back at Gaius, who was standing so the upper half of his body was through the whole in the roof of the Rover, looking for signs of Merlin’s reported anomaly.

“Go talk to him,” she hissed at Merlin.

Merlin rolled his eyes, but screwed up his courage when he heard his mother’s voice in his head. He couldn’t fail at this. He climbed up to stand beside elder scientist. 

“I really don’t know what to say,” Merlin said, barely managing to not stammer. “It’s been here every night…” he trailed off as Gaius merely nodded and kept his gaze skyward.

Gwen, not nearly ready to spend another awkwardly silent night in an auto with two ridiculously intelligent scientists, sighed. “Can I turn on the radio?”

“No!” Merlin hissed.

Gwen harrumphed and slid down in her seat, then quickly sat forward as something caught her eye in the side mirror. “Guys,” she said. “Guys!” she repeated, loudly, when they didn’t respond.

“What?” Merlin replied.

“Look!”

Merlin and Gaius turned quickly to see what had caught Gwen’s attention. The sky looked to be on fire with green and blue light.

“Go!” Merlin shouted at Gwen, who threw the van in gear and pressed the accelerator.

“I thought you said it was a faint aurora!” Gaius fairly shouted as he dropped down into the Rover.

“It was!” Merlin replied, nearly laughing as he clambered up to sit by Gwen.

As they neared the lights, a funnel of wind built up underneath it, bridging the sky and the ground.

“No freaking way!” Gwen shouted, stomping on the brake and jerking the wheel.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asked, grabbing the dash for balance.

“I am not dying for three lousy credits!”

“Look out!” Gaius shouted from behind them.

“Shit!” Gwen said.

Merlin barely caught a glimpse of the man as he smacked into the window and then was gone.

“The hell?” Gwen asked, dazed, once the car was stopped. The wind funnel had stopped and the auroras were gone.

Merlin and Gaius leapt out of the car, moving to the fallen man.

“I think, legally, that was your fault!” Gwen called as she followed them.

“Do me a favor, please don’t be dead,” Merlin breathed as he carefully rolled the man onto his back. “Wow,” he breathed. The guy may have been wandering around in the middle of nowhere, but he was _hot_. Normally Merlin wasn’t a fan of facial hair, but it really worked on this guy. 

He shook himself and looked around. “Where did he come from?”

“Woah,” Gwen said as she joined him. “Does he need CPR? Because I totally know CPR.”

“Get the first aid kit,” Gaius said.

The man groaned as he awoke and Merlin found himself staring into a pair of warm brown eyes.

“Er, hi,” Merlin said.

The man pushed Merlin to the side and leapt to his feet. He began walking around, shouting at the sky.

“Taliesin! Dragon’s Breath!” he yelled.

“Dragon’s Breath?” Merlin asked.

“Probably what he was drinking,” Gwen offered.

“Gaius, look at this,” Merlin said. He was still kneeling where the fallen man had been. As the wind settled, he could see the grass had been cleared away, leaving symbols and knot work burned into the ground.

Gaius put his glasses on and knelt next to the younger physicist.

“We need to get these symbols down before they disappear,” Merlin said, digging out his notebook.

“Father!” the man shouted.

“Merlin, we should really get him to hospital,” Gaius said.

“He’s fine! Look at him!” Merlin said, trying not to notice how the thin fabric of the man’s trousers molded to his bum.

“Taliesin! Send the Bridge!” the man roared.

Gaius shot a look at Merlin.

“Hospital, right. You go, I’ll stay,” Merlin replied.

The man stomped over to them. “What realm is this?” he demanded.

“Take it easy, there,” Gwen said, pulling out her trusty Taser. Technically, illegal, but she knew a guy.

“You dare threaten _me_?” the man demanded, taking another step forward. “I am Sir Gwaine of—” the man jolted and let out a gasp before falling to the ground.

Gaius and Merlin turned shocked looks on Gwen.

“What? He was freaking me out!” she protested.

Gaius looked at the large man, then the distance to the Rover and back again. “Next time, my dear girl, make sure he’s in the car _before_ you tase him.”

“Oops?”

After several minutes of moving the Rover, and then lifting and shifting the unconscious man into the Rover, the three scientists were off to the nearest hospital.

They didn’t notice the thunder behind him or the streak of light across the sky.  
*****

“Name?” the intake nurse asked. The medics had already wheeled the man from the Beacons back to put him under observation.

“Um, he said it was Gwaine?” Merlin replied. He decided to leave out the “Sir” part; they’d be able to tell from the tox screen that the man was pasted.

“Ooo-kay. And what is the nature of the injury?”

“He hit him with a car,” Gwen supplied.

“Grazed!” Merlin yelled, then coughed at the nurse’s look. “I grazed him with the truck when he jumped out in front of fit. “She—” he said, jerking a thumb at Gwen, “tased him.”

“Yes, I did,” Gwen said, proudly.

“Sign here,” the nurse said, handing a clipboard over.  
*****

Gwaine woke up and blinked his eyes at the too-bright light. He sat up quickly, taking in his strange surroundings.

“Good, you’re awake. Do you remember what happened?” asked a man in a long white coat.

Gwaine ignored him and swung off the odd bed he had been lying on. He stalked toward the door; he had a sword to find.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t leave yet,” the man said, putting his hand on Gwaine’s arm.

Gwaine retaliated by lifting him up by the front of his shirt. “Who do you think you are?”

The man let out a squeak and Gwaine was suddenly descended upon by men in strange clothes. Although he did not recognize the garb, he did recognize guards when he saw them. He laughed as he fought them off. Once they were subdued, he walked to the door.

“Did you really think you could stop the mighty Gwaine?” he asked haughtily. He paused when he felt a sharp pain in his buttock.

He barely had time to process the pain of his face smashing into the door before he was unconscious.  
*****

Joe Michaels pulled his pickup truck to a sharp halt. He rolled down his window and looked out. There was a ridge earth where the ground had been flat the day before. He turned the wheel and drove across the flat field toward the ridge. He got out and looked down into a good-sized crated to see a large rock with what honest-to-God looked like a sword in it settled in the middle.

“I’ll be damned,” he said, pulling out his mobile. “Stan! You have to come out and see this thing!”

An hour later, Stan and half the population of the town had arrived at the crater. As any good Britons raised on the legends of King Arthur would, they all had a turn trying to pull the sword out of the stone.

They were so far down in the crater and busy coming up with extravagant schemes to remove the entire rock-and-sword combination that they didn’t notice the sleek black SUV park at the ridge.

A tall blond man in a dark, sharp suit stepped out of the SUV and stepped to the edge of the crater. His eyes were unreadable behind the dark sunglasses he wore. A small smile graced his face as he opened his mobile.

“Director King? It’s Pendragon. I think we’ve found it,” he said.  
*****

Merlin’s hair was a wild nest from the number of times he had tugged his fingers through it in the last hours. After the hospital, they had returned to the building he’d rented to use for his lab—a former ice cream shop. He had spent the entire rest of the night going over all the data they had recorded. His readings were groundbreaking, but they were also scaring the hell out of him.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing in the readings from that magnetic storm?” he asked Gaius.

Gaius walked over from where he had been helping Gwen put up printouts on a cork board.

“What are you seeing?” Gaius said, his tone that of a teacher.

Merlin took a deep breath. “They’re characteristics of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge,” he said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

“A what?” Gwen asked.

“I thought you were a scientist,” Gaius said, turning to look at her.

“Mechanical engineer.”

“She was the only applicant for the position,” Merlin said.

“Yeah, there’s a rumor at the university that a group of cannibals started a cozy little murder town out in the Beacons a few years ago. Not a lot of takers for spending months out here,” Gwen explained.

“It’s a _theoretical_ gateway between two distinct places in—”

“It’s a wormhole,” Merlin interrupted, knowing Gwen probably wouldn’t follow most of the jargon Gaius was about to unleash.

Gaius shot him a look.

Grinning, Merlin handed him a photo taken of the sky above where the whirlwind had been the night before. “What do you see?”

“Stars.”

“Yes, but not our stars. Here,” he said, pulling out a chart, “is what the sky in our quadrant should have looked like. So unless Scorpio took the night off, these are someone else’s constellations. This is someone else’s _sky_.”

“Hey, look at this,” Gwen called from the cork board.

Merlin and Gaius walked over to her. Merlin’s eyes widened as he looked over her shoulder to see the very distinct outline of a man in their whirlwind. He ran to the table and grabbed his keys and his coat.

“Where are you going?” Gaius asked.

“To the hospital. I think I left something important there.”

Gwen and Gaius shared a quick look before they dashed after him.  
*****

Gwaine awoke to the too-bright lights again. He tried to lift his hand to block them out, but found it restrained. He leaned up in the bed and tugged at the restraints around his wrists. He noted they were padded, which boded well for him; his captors obviously did not want him injured.

He closed his eyes and let his head settle back on the pillow as he remembered everything that had happened. His father had banished him to this Realm to teach him a lesson and now he was at the hands of unknown enemies. Remembering his father’s lessons about strategy, he decided to attempt slipping out of the restraints, rather than straining himself to break them.

Moments later he was free. He was dressed in strange, thin garb, but it would do for his escape. He walked to the door and looked out the window. A few people walked by him in the hall, some clad in those long white coats and some dressed similarly to him. He smiled; he’d be able to blend in on his way out of this place.

He opened the door and slipped out into the hall, heading for the end with a large sign reading EXIT in red letters.  
*****

Merlin was pretty sure he could feel his heart dropping down into his stomach as he surveyed the empty room.

“Bugger,” Gwen muttered from behind him.

Merlin nodded and walked quietly back to the Rover. Gwen stopped at the desk to use her 

“Now what?” Gaius said as they settled in the Rover.

Gwen was in the back seat looking through the paper bag she had used her cleavage to persuade the poor clerk on duty to hand over. It contained the meager effects they had taken off the man upon his admittance.

“We need to find him,” Merlin said.

“Find him? Did you hear what he did to those guards last night? Finding him is not the best idea,” Gaius protested.

“Our data can’t tell us what it was like to be inside that wormhole; he can. I need him.”

“I guess it’s a good thing Gwen recharged her Taser, then,” Gaius muttered.

Merlin shot him a smile. “Anything?” he asked Gwen, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

“Oh, yes!” she said, cheerfully.

“What? Tech? Data?” Merlin asked, twisting in his seat.

“Better! No pants!” she said, gleefully.

“Oh, you are just the _worst_ sort of person,” Merlin said.

Gaius chuckled as Merlin turned back around and started the Rover.

“We’ll have to split up,” Merlin said as he began backing out of the parking space.

They all jumped as the Rover hit something.

“Shit!” Merlin said, jumping out of the Rover. He ran around to the back to see the man from the night before sprawled on the ground again.

“It’s him!” Gwen said as the man stared up at them with a dazed look.

“I swear, I am not doing this on purpose!” Merlin said.  
*****

All in all, it had been fairly easy to convince Gwaine—who insisted that was, indeed, his name—to return with them to the lab. Merlin had dug out some clothes his ex, Eoin, had left behind and gave them to Gwaine. He had then discovered that Gwaine had very little in the way of personal modesty. Gwaine had quickly begun stripping out of the hospital clothes to change.

“I’ll make coffee!” Merlin shouted, running into the kitchen area.

“You know, for a crazy, homeless guy, he’s pretty fit,” Gwen said, openly ogling Gwaine as he put on a shirt. She turned and winked at Merlin. “And still no pants.”

“Horrible person,” he mouthed at her as Gwaine joined them.

“I’m sorry I tased you,” Gwen said to Gwaine.

Gwaine smiled at her. He turned his attention to Merlin and the smiled brightened. “This mortal form is weak. I need sustenance.”

“I think I have some Pop Tarts?” Merlin said.

“Or there’s the diner,” Gaius suggested.

“Do you think that’s the best idea?” Merlin asked, nodding at where Gwaine was examining the laptop, poking at it with a large hand.

“Do you want to have him stay here around extremely sensitive equipment?”

“Gwaine! We’re going out for breakfast!”

 **Part III**  
“We shouldn’t have let him go to Darkling Wood,” Elena said. “Now we’ve lost him forever.”

She and the Warriors Three were sitting in Gwaine’s rooms with Mordred, lamenting the loss of their comrade. Mordred had brought them the news of Lot’s punishment for Gwaine.

“He’s banished, not dead,” Elyan reminded her.

“Which is what we all would have been if that guard hadn’t told King Lot where we’d gone,” Gareth added.

Mordred stood in the corner, staring at his hand. It had not turned color since the return to Lothian, and he wondered at the desire he had for it to do so. Something about it had felt so _right_.

“How did that guard know?” Bedivere asked.

“I told him,” Mordred said quietly.

“What?” Elena demanded.

Mordred turned to see the others staring at him. “I had to. You know as well as I do that what Gwaine proposed was a suicide mission. I told the guard to go see Father after we had left. He should be flogged for taking so long.”

“How could you?” Gareth asked.

“I saved our lives! And Gwaine’s, not that he’ll thank me for it.”

“Mordred!” Elena scolded.

“I had no idea Father would banish him!”

“You need to go to King Lot and convince him to allow Gwaine to return,” Elena said.

“If I do that, then what? You know I love Gwaine, more than any of you. He is my brother. But he is reckless and arrogant. He is _dangerous_. Is that what we really need from our future king? I’ll not open us to his madness,” Mordred said, steel in his eyes. With a final glare, he stormed from the rooms.

“He’s always been jealous of Gwaine,” Bedivere said once Mordred was gone.

“Morgause said we had a traitor in our house,” Elyan stated. “A master of magic such as Mordred could bring Darklings into our palace without us knowing.”

Elena shook her head. “Mordred has always been fond of mischief and manipulation. But to betray our people? That is something else entirely.”

“You have not said you don’t think he’s capable of it,” Elyan noted.

“No. It pains me, but I cannot say that.”  
*****

After departing from Elena and his brother’s friends, Mordred had gone to his father’s treasure room. He needed to be near the Chalice. Needed to see if it would have the same effect on him that the Darkling’s touch had.

He found it on its reserved pedestal. He took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the Chalice in both hands. He watched in fascination as his hands began to turn dark green.

“Stop, Mordred.”

“Am I cursed?” Mordred asked his father.

“No.”

Mordred turned to face Lot. He caught his reflection off an enchanted mirror and saw that all his exposed skin was now the same color as the Darklings’. He concentrated and watched his skin turn back to its usual shade.

“What am I?” he asked Lot.

“My son.”

“Yes, but what more than that?”

Lot looked at him, sadness in his eyes.

Mordred walked closer to his father. “The Chalice wasn’t the only thing you took from Darkling Wood that day, was it?”

“Mordred.”

“Tell me!”

“No, it was not. I found a baby in the great temple. He was suffering. He had been abandoned there to die; Morgause’s son. An innocent child left to die.”

“Why would you take me? You were knee deep in Darkling blood; what was one more life?”

“You were an innocent babe!”

“What purpose could my survival have served?”

“I thought that if I raised you as my own, I could find a way to unite the two Realms in peace. But those plans no longer matter.”

Mordred bit back tears. “So I am nothing more than another stolen relic. Locked up by the mighty King Lot until I can be of some use to you.”

“You are twisting my words, Mordred. I have raised you as my own.”

Mordred sneered at him. “Your own, but not favored. Why did you never tell me what I was?” 

“Because you are my son and I wanted to protect you,” Lot said, his breathing becoming labored.

“Protect me? From the truth? From the fact that I am the monster Druid mothers tell their children of?” He laughed harshly. “It all makes sense now; why you always favored Gwaine so. Can’t have a filthy Darkling on the throne of Lothian,” Mordred yelled, advancing on Lot.

“Mordred,” Lot gasped, reaching for him before falling to the ground.

“Father?” Mordred asked, shaken. He ran to the king, dropping to his knees beside him. Lot was cold to the touch, indicating he’d fallen into his Winter Sleep.

“Guards!”  
*****

Elena and the Warriors Three hurried into the throne room, intent upon seeing King Lot. It had taken several hours of logic, shouting and eventual head smacking, but Elena had finally convinced the other three that they needed to speak to their king. They needed Gwaine back in Lothian, especially if their suspicions about Mordred were correct.

“King Lot, we need to speak to—” Elena cut herself off and stopped dead when she saw who sat upon the throne.

Clad in resplendent dark green and gray was Mordred, wearing a crown with antlers, the staff he used to wield magic clutched in his hand.

“Where is King Lot?” Elyan asked.

“My father has fallen into his Winter Sleep, I am afraid.”

“Then may we speak with Queen Freya?” Bedivere asked.

“It is an urgent matter,” Gareth added.

“Alas, she will not leave Father’s bedside. She fears he will not wake from this Sleep. However, you may bring this _urgent_ matter to me,” he said, rising. “For I am your king.”

The foursome shared loaded looks before kneeling to Mordred.

“Make your request,” Mordred said, settling back onto the throne.

“We would request that you end Gwaine’s banishment. He should be here in the royal family’s time of need,” Elena said.

“Ah, I see. No.”

The Warriors looked at each other as Elena fought back a glare.

“Majesty, I beg your indulgence and ask that you reconsider,” Gareth said.

“My first act as king cannot be to undo the final order of my predecessor,” Mordred replied.

“But—” Elyan began.

“We are _done_.”

Elyan, Gareth and Bedivere looked at each other, then nodded before rising to their feet and backing out of the throne room.

Elena stared Mordred down as she rose. With a brief nod, she turned her back on the new king and followed her comrades.

 _This isn’t over_ , she thought.  
*****

Pleased with himself over his victory against Gwaine’s oldest friends, Mordred smiled as he walked down the hall to his parents’ chambers. He had to play the dutiful son and check in on his father.

“Mordred, so good of you to come back. I think he knows when we’re here,” Freya said from her seat beside her husband’s bed.

“I’ll never get used to seeing him like this,” Mordred said as he sat down across from her. “How long will it last this time?”

“I don’t know. It’s different this time. We were unprepared for it.”

Mordred nodded, then lifted his head to meet her eyes. “Why did he lie?”

Freya’s face softened. “He didn’t lie, Mordred. He kept the truth from you so you would never feel different.” She reached across the bed for his hand. “You are our son and we are your family.”

Mordred swallowed hard. While Lot had always shown favoritism, Freya had always loved her sons equally.

“You mustn’t lose hope, Mordred. Your father will return to us. And, in time, so will Gwaine.”

“What hope is there for Gwaine?”

Freya smiled. “There is always a purpose in everything your father does. You must have faith in that.”

“I should let you be with him. Please, let me know if you need anything,” Mordred said, rising.

He had to make sure Gwaine’s hope was crushed.

 **Part IV**  
Merlin watched with fascination as Gwaine shoveled another helping of pancakes into his mouth. He washed it down with a long swig from his overly large mug of coffee.

“I like this drink!” Gwaine announced, holding up the empty mug.

“It’s fantastic, right?” Gwen said.

“Yes! I shall have another,” he said, smashing the cup on the ground.

“Sorry, Rosie, accident!” Merlin called to the owner of the diner as he circled the table to clean up the mess. “The hell?” he said to Gwaine.

Gwaine looked genuinely puzzled. “It was delicious and I wanted another.”

“Then _ask_ for it,” Merlin said, standing.

Gwaine looked at the towel Merlin held containing the broken mug. “I just did.”

“No, nicely! No more smashing!” Merlin scolded.

“Yeah, there’s another guy for that,” Gwen muttered into her mug.

“What?” Gaius asked.

“Hmm, oh nothing.”

Before Gaius could press for further details, two locals came into the diner calling for Rosie.

“Where were you two yesterday?” she asked them.

“Out at the crater. We were hanging out and barbecuing. Then a bunch of government types showed up and said it was some kind of satellite,” the first man said. “They shooed us away with some story about radiation.”

Merlin and Gaius turned their attention to the men, while Gwaine continued eating pancakes under Gwen’s amused gaze.

“A real satellite? What did it look like, Joe?” Rosie asked.

“Well, I haven’t ever seen a satellite, but I reckon this wasn’t one. It looked like a sword jammed in a stone. It was so heavy no one could lift it. Stan here tore the undercarriage clear off his truck trying to tow it,” Joe replied.

Gwaine stood up at the mention of a sword and walked over to the men. He clapped a hand down on Joe’s shoulder.

“This crater, where is it?” he asked.

“About forty-five minutes west of town,” Joe replied.

“My thanks,” he replied. He returned to their table and picked up his jacket.

“Where are you going?” Merlin asked.

“Forty-five minutes west of town,” he replied.

“Wait, what?” Merlin asked, following him.

“I must regain what belongs to me.”

“The satellite? It’s under government control. You can’t just walk in there and take it!”

“Yes, I can.” He stopped and turned to face Merlin. “Come with me. Once I have my sword, I will give you all the answers you need.”

“Merlin? A word?” Gaius called from the pavement.

“Wait right here,” Merlin said.

Gwaine nodded.

“What?” Merlin hissed as he joined Gaius and Gwen.

“Please don’t do this,” Gaius said.

“You saw what I saw that night, Gaius. I have to find out what’s in that crater.”

“He calls himself Sir Gwaine and is going after a sword in a stone, Merlin! He’s talking about himself like he’s actually the man in the myths!”

“So? My name is Merlin and it’s random coincidence that Gwen’s full name is Gwendolyn and not Guinevere.”

“Actually, it _is_ Guinevere,” Gwen said.

“Really?”

“Did you even bother to read my resume?”

“Not entirely?”

Gwen rolled her eyes.

“You were the only applicant! That’s all I needed to know!”

“Merlin, please. Don’t do this. It’s crazy,” Gaius pleaded.

“I’m just going to drive him out there.”

“It’s dangerous, Merlin.”

Merlin folded under the fatherly look and soft tone of Gaius’ voice. “Fine,” he huffed.

He walked over to where Gwaine waited for him. “I’m sorry, Gwaine. I can’t take you to the crater.”

Gwaine smiled at him. “Then I bid you adieu, Merlin,” he said, pulling the slighter man into a hug.

“Er, thanks!” Merlin said, blushing fiercely as he patted Gwaine’s back. He was greeted by a blinding smile from Gwaine when the other man pulled back.

“Dr. Williams-Baltar, Lady Gwen, farewell,” Gwaine said, nodding to them.

Gaius waved and Gwen sketched a curtsey.

Merlin watched forlornly as Gwaine walked down the street.

“Come on, Merlin. We have work to do,” Gaius said, nudging Merlin in the other direction toward the lab.

“He’ll be fine, Merlin,” Gwen said, looping her arm through his as they walked.

“I know. I just—hey, that’s my stuff!” he shouted as a truck passed them, its trailer filled with gear he recognized. He picked up speed and ran to the lab, Gwen and Gaius close on his heels.

“Hey! Hey! What the bloody blue blazes do you think you’re doing?” he shouted as he ran into the lab. 

He ran to the back door, where more of his gear was being loaded into a large black van. He skidded to a halt as a blond man in a suit stepped in his path.

“Dr. Emrys, I’m Agent Pendragon of Tactical Armed Ballistic Legion: Excalibur. We need your equipment,” the blond said.

Merlin stepped so he was toe-to-toe with Pendragon. “This is my _life_ ,” he snarled.

Gaius, having heard Pendragon’s introduction, pulled on Merlin’s arm. “Merlin, let this go.”

“Let this go?”

“We’re investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your records and data,” Pendragon continued, staring Merlin down.

Merlin wasn’t backing down. “By appropriate, I take it you mean steal?”

Pendragon reached into his pocket and pulled out a cheque. “That should cover your expenses.”

Merlin snatched it from him and balled it up, tossing it over his shoulder. Gwen quickly caught it and tucked it in her purse.

“I can’t just go to the store and buy this equipment! I made most of it myself!” Merlin yelled.

Pendragon smirked. “Then you can probably build it again.”

“And I can go to the papers about the government interfering in scientific research again! Some more!”

“I know it’s hard, but we’re the good guys.”

“So are we!” Merlin said, exasperated. He took a deep breath. “Look, I am on the verge of understanding something _extraordinary_. And all I know about it is in this lab or in this book,” he said, holding up his notebook.

Pendragon nodded his head and the book was snatched out of Merlin’s hand by another suited individual.

“No, wait!” Merlin shouted, trying to get the book back. Gaius wrapped his arm around Merlin’s chest, holding him back and Merlin spared a thought that Gaius was surprisingly strong.

“Easy,” Gaius said softly.

“We at TABLE thank you for your cooperation,” Pendragon said as his men closed up the van. He nodded once before turning to climb into his sleek black car.

Merlin almost cried as he watched his life’s work be driven away. He buried his face in Gwen’s neck when she hugged him.  
*****

“They took all my data. Years of research are just…gone,” Merlin said.

They were sitting on the roof of the lab, on the futon Merlin sometimes spent the night on if he fell asleep stargazing.

“We have the back ups,” Gaius said, trying to cheer him up.

“They took the backups. They took the _backups_ of the backups,” Merlin said. “They were extremely thorough.”

“They even took my iPod,” Gwen lamented.

“So, who exactly are these TABLE people?” Merlin asked.

“And I had _just_ downloaded the new Blue Gillespie album,” Gwen said.

“Enough with the iPod!” Merlin said. “Gaius?”

“I had a friend. He was a scientist; a pioneer in the field of gamma radiation. One day, TABLE showed up and he was never heard from again,” Gaius explained.

“Well, that is not going to happen to us. I’m getting it all back,” Merlin said, standing up.

“Merlin, wait. Let me contact my colleague. She’s had dealings with them in the past. I’ll e-mail her for help,” Gaius said.

“TABLE took your laptop, too,” Gwen said quietly.

“Then I guess that means we’re off to the library,” Gaius said before rising.  
*****

Merlin leaned back against the Rover and sighed. He knew that Gaius and Gwen had only been inside for about ten minutes, but it seemed much longer.

As he leaned forward to thump his head against the Rover again, he noticed movement down the street. He turned to see Gwaine ducking into a pet shop. He quickly ran down the street and followed him inside.

He arrived just in time to hear Gwaine ask the teen behind the counter for a horse.

The teen just looked at Gwaine. “We don’t have horses. Just dogs, cats and birds.”

“Then I need one of those large enough to ride.”

Merlin covered his laugh with a cough.

“Dr. Emrys,” Gwaine called cheerfully as he turned.

“I take it you could use a ride out of town?”

“Verily.”  
*****

Merlin knew he should have felt bad about leaving Gaius and Gwen behind, but it wasn’t like they couldn’t go back to the lab or their hotel rooms. Merlin himself slept in a caravan, but he was tetchy about being far from his equipment, which TABLE had proven to be healthy paranoia.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said to Gwaine. “Have you?”

Gwaine chuckled. “Many times. You are brave to do this.”

Merlin looked at him and blushed at the smile Gwaine was giving him. “They stole my entire life’s work. It’s not like I have much left to lose.”

“Ah, but you are clever,” Gwaine said, shaking a finger at him. “Far more clever than anyone else in this Realm.”

“Realm?” Merlin asked, and realized he was riding with a man whom he still didn’t know for sure wasn’t round-the-bend-toys-in-the-attic insane.

“You think me strange.”

“Yes.”

“Good strange or bad strange?”

Merlin smiled at him. “I’m not quite sure yet.”

Gwaine returned the smile, then laughed when the Rover jumped as it ran off the road.

“Shit!” Merlin said, steering them back onto the road.

Gwaine chuckled.

“Who are you, really?” Merlin asked.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

“You promised me answers.”

“What you seek, it is a Bridge?”

“You mean an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?” Merlin asked.

“More like a rainbow Bridge.”

“Gods, I hope you’re not crazy.”

Gwaine laughed.  
*****

Merlin was scolding himself for being an idiot; not sure exactly how he’d gotten into this position. This position, of course, being lying on his belly at the edge of the crater and staring down into it through binoculars.

“It’s down there,” Gwaine said, and Merlin was reminded of how he’d gotten here. Damn his thirst for knowledge and hot men.

“It’s definitely not a satellite. If they thought it was radioactive, they’d have hauled it out of here, not built a city around it.”

Gwaine shrugged out of his coat and laid it over Merlin. “You’re going to need this.”

“Why?”

Even as he asked, Merlin could hear thunder rolling in the distance.

“Great. And now it’s going to rain.”

“Stay here, Merlin. Once I have Dragon’s Breath, I will return the items they stole from you.”

“What? No,” Merlin cried, grabbing his arm. “Look at that thing! It’s a military set-up. Are you telling me you’re just going to walk in there, grab your sword and walk out?”

“No. I was going to fly.”

Merlin was too stunned to keep hold of Gwaine. All he could do was watch dumbly as the other man hurried down to the perimeter fence.

“Bugger me,” he said, pulling out his mobile. He cringed when he got Gaius’ voice mail. “Hi, Gaius. It’s me. Remember that thing you told me not to do? Yeah, I did it. Don’t worry, I’m fine. But, um, in case you don’t hear from me soon, come by the crater. Sorry! Bye.”

He closed the phone and settled down to watch Gwaine do something impossible.  
*****

“Agent Pendragon?” 

Pendragon turned to face the security agent—Edwards—who had called to him. “Yes?”

“There’s something on the fence.”

Pendragon leaned over Edwards’ shoulder to view the footage from the security camera. He could clearly see the fence had been pulled away from one of the support poles.

“Send Orange and Mackey out.”

Edwards nodded and gave out the orders.  
*****

Gwaine had slipped easily through the fence and ducked behind a large piece of equipment. He heard the footsteps of guards approaching and waited. As soon as they passed him, he snuck up behind them and knocked them out. He slid a slicker off one of them to shield his face from the cameras. He hurried across the ground to the complex as the skies opened up and rain began to pelt down.  
*****

“Sir, this is Delancey. Orange and Mackey are unconscious.”

Pendragon turned to Edwards as the update came over his comm. “Sound the intruder alarm.”  
*****

Gwaine laughed as he hadn’t since before his excursion to Darkling Wood. The guards the complex kept sending to stop him fought well, but they were no match for one such as him. He finally decided to stop playing with them, choosing to incapacitate them as quickly as possible before moving on with his quest. He refrained from killing anyone, as he had a feeling Merlin would disapprove. It was a thought which gave him pause, but he pushed it aside. There would be time for such things once Dragon’s Breath was back in his hand.

He turned a corner and could see the hall open up into the main complex, where his sword was held. He hurried toward it and was stunned as a man clotheslined him, knocking him on his back. He smiled up at his attacker.

“You’re big,” he said. “I’ve fought bigger.”

The guard grinned as Gwaine gained his feet. The grin turned to a groan as Gwaine tackled him and they both went through the plastic wall of the hallway and out into the rain and mud.  
*****

Pendragon rolled his eyes as he watched his men get knocked down like toy soldiers. He lifted his radio to his lips.  
*****

“I need eyes up high. With a gun,” sounded in Agent Percival Lewys’ ear. He ran to the Board of Doom, as he called it, and reached for a rifle. He paused, then instead grabbed his baby: a recurve bow. He took his weapon and ran outside, leaping onto one of the platforms attached to a crane. He pressed the button to swing up high and fast, stopping it once he reached a height he liked. He activated his comm and drew on the target, a tall man with long dark hair currently tearing through their men in a dark t-shirt and jeans.

“Should I stop him or are you sending more guys for him to beat up?” Percival asked. A small, mean, part of him smirked because while he liked Agent Pendragon, he had no problem pointing out the foibles of the newly-conglomerated staff.

“Wait a moment,” Pendragon replied in his ear.  
*****

Gwaine, having been so close to his goal before getting downed by the guard, finished the fight relatively quickly. He left the man unconscious in the rain as he moved back to the complex. He tore a hole through the sheeting, letting himself into the center of the crater, where Dragon’s Breath awaited him.  
*****

Percival waited for a bit, watching the action below. “Better call it, Arthur. I’m starting to root for this guy.”

Pendragon did not reply. 

“Last chance, sir,” he prompted as the intruder reached the sword.

“Wait, I want to see this,” Pendragon replied, and there was an anticipation and sadness in his voice that Percival could not deny.

Percival watched, hoping that Arthur’s faith would be rewarded. 

Nothing happened when the intruder tried to pull the sword from the rock and despite everything, Percival felt a profound sense of loss.  
*****

Gwaine’s smile fell from his face as Dragon’s Breath refused to budge from the stone. He tugged again and nothing happened. Grunting, he put his foot on the stone and tugged with both hands.

“Please,” he breathed.

The sword did not move.

For a brief moment, he thought he had seen the dragon scale etching light up on the blade, but he must have been mistaken. Gwaine let go and dropped to his knees, knowing he was still unworthy. He wasn’t worthy to wield the weapon that had chosen him so many years ago. Not worthy to return home. He tilted his head back and shouted his rage and anguish to the sky.

He bowed his head and didn’t even fight when the TABLE agents stormed in and handcuffed him. 

**Part V**  
“He committed a crime, Merlin! He should be in jail!” Gaius said.

Merlin glared at him. He had watched Gwaine’s entire trek through the complex, and something in his heart had broken when he heard Gwaine’s anguished cry. He had ducked behind a shrub when he saw the TABLE agents handcuff Gwaine and lead him further into the complex. When he was sure no one was coming looking for him, Merlin had hurried back to the Rover and hauled ass back to the lab, where he found an exasperated Gaius and a concerned Gwen waiting for him. 

“We can’t leave him there, Gaius. You didn’t see what I saw,” Merlin argued.

“Holy crap! Dragon’s Breath!” Gwen said from her seat at the table.

“What?” Merlin asked.

Gwen turned the book she’d been flipping through so he could see it. “There—Dragon’s Breath. It’s the name of the sword wielded by Sir Gwaine against the Green Knight.”

“Where did you find this?”

“I found it in the children’s section of the library,” Gaius stated. “I wanted to show you that it was just a magical story. This man is not Sir Gwaine.”

“But Gaius, you are the one who is always saying you have to push through and chase down every possibility; every alternative.”

“I’m talking about science, not magic.”

“Arthur C. Clarke said magic is just science we don’t understand yet.”

“And he wrote science _fiction_!”

“A precursor to science _fact_!” Merlin shouted.

“In some cases,” Gaius stressed.

“If the bridge really exists, then there’s something on the other side of it that opened it. Advanced beings could have come across it centuries ago.”

“A primitive culture like the ancient Celts could have seen them as gods,” Gwen put in.

“Thank you,” Merlin said, giving her a high five.

Gaius sighed. “All right. Just what do you think we can do?”  
*****

“So, have you tried it?” Percival asked.

Pendragon, used to Percival’s sudden appearances, tilted his head as he stared down at the artifact. “Tried what?”

Percival rolled his eyes. “You know what. Half the base has already tried it, not to mention all the locals. Give it a go,” he said, nudging Pendragon with his elbow.

“I have more important things to do. So do you.”

“You’re not even a little tempted?”

“No.”

“You, Arthur Pendragon, are not attempted to have a go at the _literal_ sword in the stone.”

“I have an interrogation to conduct,” Pendragon said, walking away.

He forcibly ignored the fact that he clenched his hand into a fist to quell the itching in his palm.  
*****

Gwaine barely twitched when the blond man in the suit came into the mirrored room where he was being held.

“I’m Agent Pendragon.”

When Gwaine made no reply, the man continued. “You made my men—some of the best trained soldiers in the world—look like mall cops. That’s very hurtful,” the agent said.

Gwaine flicked his eyes up to watch Pendragon as he talked, but didn’t respond to him.

“In my experience, it takes similar training to do what you did. Where did you receive your training? Pakistan? Chechnya? No, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. South Africa.”

Gwaine stared at his own reflection in the mirrored wall.

“Certain groups pay very well for a mercenary like you. Who. Are. You?”

Gwaine stared up at Pendragon.

Pendragon clasped his hands in front of him. “One way or another, I will find out what we need to know. It’s what I’m good at.”

A tone sounded and Pendragon reached into his pocket, pulling out a device Gwaine recognized as a mobile phone. 

Pendragon listened for a few moments before saying, “I’ll be right there.” He put the phone back in his pocket. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said before leaving the room.

Gwaine kept his eyes down as Pendragon left. When he looked up again, Mordred was standing in front of him, in a suit much like Agent Pendragon’s.

“Mordred, what are you doing here?” Gwaine asked.

“I had to see you,” Mordred replied, his voice choked.

“What is it? Is it the Darklings? Please, let me explain to Father. I know he’ll—”

“Father is dead.”

“What?” Gwaine asked, his chest tight. He could barely comprehend his brother’s words.

“The banishment; the threat of a new war with the Darklings. It was too much for him to bear. But you mustn’t blame yourself. I know you loved him. I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn’t listen. It was so cruel of him to put the sword within your reach, knowing you could never draw it.”

Gwaine just nodded, his eyes downcast.

The burden of the throne has fallen to me now.

Gwaine’s head snapped up. “Can I come home?”

Mordred shook his head. “The truce with Morgause is conditional upon your exile.”

“If I could talk to Mother, surely we could find a way.”

“Mother has forbidden your return. I am sorry, brother, but this is goodbye.”

“No, Mordred. I am sorry. Thank you for coming here to tell me.”

“Farewell, brother.”

Gwaine nodded and looked back down at the floor. “Goodbye,” he said as he heard the door open.

“Goodbye? I just came back,” Pendragon said.  
*****

Before he returned to Lothian, there was one last thing Mordred had to do. Although Gwaine’s hope was crushed and Mordred didn’t have to worry about his brother coming home, he couldn’t help but stop to look at Dragon’s Breath. None of the mortals noticed him as he moved among them and down to the sword. He wrapped his hand around the hilt and pulled. He grimaced when nothing happened, but left the sword behind.

Who needed a sword when he had a throne?  
*****

Pendragon was just leaving another unsuccessful interrogation session with their intruder when Edwards stopped him.

“Sir? He’s got a visitor.”

Pendragon lifted an eyebrow, but made his way to the technical van they were using to scan any visitors to the site.

“Ah, Agent Pendragon. We met earlier, briefly. I’m Dr. Williams-Baltar,” the visitor said.

Pendragon recognized him from the encounter with Dr. Emrys earlier in the day, as well as from his connection to Dr. Leon Knight.

“I understand you have one of my scientists here,” Dr. Williams-Baltar continued. “His name is Dr. Eoin Green.”

“He broke in and tried to steal radioactive government property,” Pendragon replied. “You have dangerous colleagues.”

“He was distraught, Agent. Years of his life were stripped away. You must understand how that could make him go off. Some big, nameless, faceless group of jackbooted thugs coming in and taking his life away.”

Pendragon looked at him sharply. 

“Those were his words,” Dr. Williams-Baltar said.

“That still doesn’t explain how he tore through my security forces.”

“Steroids! He’s a bit of a fitness nut. And also drunk.”

“Sir,” Percival said from behind him.

Pendragon looked over his shoulder to see a medical ID flashing up on the computer screen, with “FALSIFIED DATA” streaming across it in red. _Interesting._  
*****

“Oh, my dear, dear lad.”

Gwaine looked up to see Gaius entering the mirrored room. “Gaius?” he asked, confused.

Gaius helped him to his feet. “We’re taking you home now, you daft fool.”

Gwaine was puzzled, but smart enough to keep walking where Gaius led. As they walked outside and past a van, he spotted Merlin’s notebook sitting on a table. He quickly grabbed it and shoved it into the waistband of his jeans.

“Dr. Williams-Baltar?” Pendragon called as they neared the perimeter fence.

“Yes?” he replied, turning.

“Keep him away from the bars.”

“Of course,” he said, then turned to steer Gwaine back to the Rover.

“Where are we going?” Gwaine asked.

“To get a drink.”

Pendragon watched them leave from the van. “Follow them,” he said to Percival without looking.  
*****

An hour later, Gwaine and Gaius were ensconced at the local pub, two large mugs of beer in front of them. Gaius tapped his fingers to the beat of the song playing while he waited for Gwaine to talk.

“I had it all backwards. I was all wrong,” Gwaine finally said.

“It’s not a bad thing to find out you don’t have all the answers. That’s when you start asking the right questions.”

Gwaine chuckled. “For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

“The only way to find your way is to admit you don’t know where you are. Then, you can find your path.”

Gwaine laid a gentle hand on Gaius’ shoulder. “Thank you for all you have done.”

“I only did it for Merlin. I taught with his father at university. And like his father, Merlin didn’t listen to me.”

“I didn’t listen to my father, either,” Gwaine said sadly. “He tried to teach me, but I was too stupid to see it.”

“Look, Gwaine, I don’t know if you’re delusional or if you’re running a con; and I don’t care. But I do care about Merlin. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“I swear, I mean him no harm.”

Gaius smiled. “Good. Then I will buy the next round,” he said, signaling the barman. “Two boilermakers, please.”

Gwaine waited until their drinks were in front of them. When Gaius lifted the shot glass, he followed suit.

“And then you leave town tonight,” Gaius said before touching his glass to Gwaine’s.

Gwaine nodded and they downed their drinks.  
*****

Mordred went straight from visiting Gwaine to Darkling Wood. He walked through the woods unmolested, returning to the crumbling fortress where they had met Morgause only days ago.

“Kill him,” Morgause said from her perch on the wall.

Mordred tsked. “After all I’ve done for you.”

Morgause smiled slowly. “Ah, so you’re the one who showed us the way in to Lothian.”

“Oh, that was just a bit of fun to ruin my brother’s big day. I had to protect the realm from his idiotic rule for a little while longer.”

“I will hear you.”

Mordred nodded. “I will conceal you and a handful of soldiers and lead you to the king’s chamber so you may slay him where he lies.”

“And why not kill him yourself?”

“I suspect the Lothians will not take kindly to their king murdering his predecessor.”

Morgause smirked.

“Once he is dead, I will return your Chalice to you and you can return the Darkling Wood to all its…glory,” he said, taking in the ruins.

“I accept.”

“I will call for your men soon,” Mordred said, then disappeared returned to the site for the Bridge.

He reappeared in the gatehouse on Lothian, steadying himself from the landing. Taliesin was waiting for him.

“I am troubled,” Taliesin said. “I turned my gaze upon the Darkling Wood during your visit and I could neither hear nor see you. You were shrouded; much like those Darklings who entered our Realm a few days ago.”

“Perhaps your senses are weakened after so many years of service,” Mordred said with a smirk.

“Or someone has found a way to hide that which he does not wish me to see.”

“You have great power, Taliesin. Tell me, did King Lot ever fear you?”

“No.”

“And why is that?”

“Because he is my king and I am sworn to obey him.”

“ _Was_ your king. You are sworn to obey me now, yes?”

“Yes,” Taliesin said, a grudge clear in his voice.

“Good. Open the Bridge to no one until I have had time to repair the damage my brother has done.”  
*****

Merlin was skimming the children’s book Gaius had taken from the library. Gaius had called a few hours ago to say that he had liberated Gwaine, taken him to get fresh clothing and then they were heading out for drinks. Merlin was trying very had to stay put and not go looking for them. He wanted to make sure Gwaine was no worse for wear after his time with TABLE. And despite Gaius’ reassurances, Merlin would feel better once he saw Gwaine with his own eyes.

He jumped when there was a knock on the door of his caravan. He opened it to find Gwaine standing there, Gaius thrown over one broad shoulder.

“Is he okay?” Merlin asked, stepping back to allow them entry.

“He is not injured at all,” Gwaine replied.

Gaius grunted as Gwaine tapped his head against the doorframe as he turned.

“Sorry, my friend,” Gwaine said.

“What happened to him?” Merlin asked.

“We drank. We fought. He made his ancestors proud.”

Merlin chuckled. “Put him back there, on the bed.”

Gaius gave Merlin a broad, goofy grin as he was laid on the bed. He reached up to grab Gwaine’s hand as he started to pull away. “I still don’t think you’re really a knight,” he said. “But you should be,” he finished, patting Gwaine on the head.

Gwaine laughed and followed Merlin to the front of the caravan. “Are these your chambers?” he asked Merlin.

Merlin blushed. “Um, no. More like a temporary living situation.” He glanced around and was mortified at the dirty dishes and laundry scattered around. “Why don’t we get out of here and let him sleep?”

Gwaine nodded. “I would like that.”

“Okay. Great.” Merlin grabbed a couple blankets from the closet and led Gwaine outside. They walked through the lab and then up onto its roof. Merlin settled onto the futon, giving Gwaine the choice of sitting with him or on one of the lawn chairs scattered around the futon.

“This is an interesting place,” Gwaine said as he sat beside Merlin.

Merlin nodded. “I like it. I come up here whenever equations are driving me mad or Gwen is driving me nuts. Or when I need to just let my brain relax.” He paused. “Wow, I come up here a lot.”

Gwaine laughed.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Merlin said quietly.

Gwaine cupped Merlin’s cheek in his hand. “Thank you, Merlin. You have been very kind to me and I have not been as grateful as you deserve.”

Merlin laughed. “Well, I hit you with my car a couple times and let Gwen tase you. I think we can call it even.”

Gwaine lowered his hand to Merlin’s knee and laughed. “Yes, well perhaps I had it coming.” He reached into his jacket pocket and took out Merlin’s notebook.

“Oh my gods!” Merlin exclaimed as he clutched it in his hands.

“I am sorry I couldn’t get you as much as I promised you.”

Merlin grabbed his hand. “This is fantastic! I don’t have to start from scratch now.” He flipped through the pages for a few moments before he frowned.

“What is the matter? Is something missing?”

“No, it’s just…TABLE is going to do everything in their power to see that my research doesn’t reach the light of day.”

“You can’t give up, Merlin. You have to finish what you’ve started because you are right about the Bridge.”

“I am?”

“I swear, I will find a way to show it to you.”

Merlin shook his head. “Magic.”

“What your ancestors called magic and what you call science are the same thing in my home. We believe that the Nine Realms of the cosmos are connected by the branches of the Great Tree.”

“Yggdrasil,” Merlin supplied.

“You know of this?”

Merlin shrugged. “Had a roommate in uni who was a genius. He caught a wild hair and spent a week learning ancient mythologies and religions. Some things stuck.” He smiled shyly at Gwaine. “But I’d rather hear you explain it.”

Gwaine smiled and leaned back on the futon, drawing Merlin close to his side as he began to speak. Merlin fell asleep rather quickly and Gwaine shifted them so Merlin was held close against his chest. He stared up at stars that were not his own for a long time before he, too, found solace in sleep.

 **Part VI**  
Elena watched as Elyan angrily paced in Gwaine’s common room. The dark-skinned man had been pacing for hours and she could tell he was about ready to break.

“How can you continue to eat at a time like this?” Elyan finally snapped at Gareth.

Gareth put down the boar leg he was eating. “Do not mistake my appetite for apathy.”

“I’ll show you apathy!” Elyan cried, taking a swing at him.

Elena let them get in a few hits before helping Bedivere pull them apart. “Shut it! She yelled. We all know what we have to do. We have to go find Gwaine.”

“It’s treason!” Bedivere said.

“Hell with treason; it’s suicide,” Gareth replied.

“Gwaine would do the same for us!” Elena protested.

“Hush, lass,” Gareth said. “Taliesin could be listening.”

Their heads snapped around as a guard came into the room. “Taliesin demands your presence.”

“We’re doomed,” Bedivere said as the guard led them to the gatehouse.  
*****

Taliesin waited until Elena and the Warriors Three were lined up in front of him before he began to speak. From his place upon the dais, he could easily see every line of tension upon them.

“You would defy the commands of Mordred, our king. Break every oath you have taken as warriors. And commit treason just to bring Gwaine back?” he asked.

“Yes,” Elena said, bravely.

“Good,” he said, stepping away from his staff, which the others just noted was in the Bridge mechanism.

“You’re helping us?” Elyan asked as Taliesin walked toward the exit.

“I am bound by honor to our king. I cannot open the Bridge to you.”

“Complicated fellow, isn’t he?” Gareth said as he watched Taliesin leave.

“Now what do we do?” Bedivere asked.

“Look, he left it open!” Elena said as the Bridge crackled to life.  
*****

“Agent Pendragon!” Edwards called out.

“More visitors?”

“No, there’s been a massive energy reading. It was there and then suddenly it was gone.”

“Where?”

“10 klicks due west.”

“Let’s go take a look,” Pendragon said, hurrying to his car. He was unsurprised to find Percival in the driver’s seat. “10 due west,” he said to him.

Percival nodded and put the car into gear.  
*****

Merlin smiled as he cooked breakfast. He had woken up warm and comfortable, his nose buried in Gwaine’s neck and his body pressed against the other man’s hard muscles. The morning had been the least awkward morning after he’d ever had and he had desperately wanted to snuggle back in. But then he remembered that he had work to do. He had to prove the existence of the Bridge, figure out how to open it and help Gwaine get home. Gwaine had awakened shortly after Merlin and given him a hug, then gone to collect Gaius and take him to the hotel so they could both change.

Gaius had stated he was in no state to deal with the breakfast rush at the diner, so now Merlin was making breakfast for everyone.

Gwen sat beside Gaius at the table, watching with unconcealed amusement as he dropped Alka Seltzer into water, hoping to stave off the worst of his hangover.

“Thank you,” Gwaine said quietly to Merlin as the scientist handed him two plates full of fry up. Gwaine walked over and set them on the table. Merlin dished up two more plates and joined the others for a nice, quiet breakfast.  
*****

“Base to Bristow. Come in.”

The agent on the roof at the end of town picked up his radio. “This is Bristow.”

“We’ve had a disturbance outside the town. Pendragon wants you to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Stay on target.”

“Copy.” He lowered his radio and looked at his partner, Sloane. “Still watch and wait.”

“He said anything unusual, right?”

“Yes, why?”

Sloane waved him over to his side. “Is there a convention in town?” he asked, pointing to the four figures walking up the street.

“I’m calling it in.” He lifted his radio. “Base, this is Bristow. Copy.”

“This is Base.”

“We’ve got Xena, Robin Hood and two of his Merry Men walking down Main Street. We thought Pendragon might like to know.”  
*****

“It’s a beautiful theory, Merlin, but you’ll never be able to convince the scientific community without any hard evidence,” Gaius stated.

“But my notebook!”

“Some drawings by Gwaine,” Gaius said, shooting a look at the other man, who was doing the dishes, “are not going to be enough. They need something they can see and touch.”

“ **Found you!!!** ”

They all turned at the shout. Gaius, Merlin and Gwen all dropped their coffee mugs in shock as they took in the four people dressed in thick leather and armor standing outside the lab.

“My friends!” Gwaine shouted, hurrying over to let them in.

Merlin stood speechless as he watched Gwaine embrace his friends.

“It is good to see you! I can’t believe you are here!” Gwaine said once the hugs were done.

“Excuse me,” Elyan said, nodding to Merlin, Gwen and Gaius. “We are Lady Elena and the Warriors Three. We are old friends.”

“And I have never been happier to see you, but you should not have come,” Gwaine said to them.

“We’re here to take you home,” Gareth explained.

Gwaine smile dropped off his face. “You know I can’t,” he said, pain clear in his voice. “My father is dead because of me. I must remain in exile.”

Merlin wanted to go over to Gwaine and hug him. Gwaine had told him about his father the night before. Merlin understood the loss of a beloved father.

Elena and the Warriors Three looked at each other in confusion before Elena’s face hardened. “Your father is not dead, Gwaine.”

Gwaine’s confusion was quickly overtaken by anger. “Mordred,” he growled.  
*****

Mordred marched down into the treasure room, anger growing with every step. He had seen the telltale opening of the Bridge from this balcony. A quick search of the keep had revealed that Elena, Gareth, Bedivere and Elyan were no longer in Lothian. He would have to deal with the traitorous Gatekeeper. But first things first.

He activated the Green Knight. “You will make sure my brother does not return. Destroy everything.”

At the knight’s nod, Mordred spun on his heel, picking up the Chalice on his way. 

Taliesin was waiting for him outside the gatehouse. “Tell me, Mordred, how did you get the Darklings into Lothian?”

Mordred smiled, the Green Knight waiting patiently at his back. “The Bridge is not the only way into our Realm. There are secret pathways to which you are blind.”

“Traitor,” Taliesin grumbled.

“I am your king, Gatekeeper. And for your act of treason, I relieve you of your duties and declare you no longer a citizen of this Realm.”

Taliesin gave him a deadly smile. “Then I need no longer obey you,” he said, swinging his sword at Mordred.

Mordred used the Chalice to encase Taliesin in thick branches. “Too slow,” he said as he led the Green Knight into the gatehouse. Once he sent the knight through on its quest, he got ready to welcome his Darkling assassins.  
*****

“We need to get someone from linguistics out here,” Pendragon said as he crouched at the edge of the burn pattern.

“On it,” Percival said, reaching to activate his comm.

“What the hell?” Edwards asked.

Pendragon looked up to see a whirlwind appearing in the sky above.

“These are the same readings we got earlier!” Edwards shouted over the noise of the wind.

Pendragon backed up to stand near his car with Percival. Once the wind died down, a large green metallic humanoid form was standing in the burned circle.

“Is that one of Gendry’s?” Percival asked.

“I don’t know. The guy never tells me anything. Morgana might know,” Pendragon said, holding his hand out for a bullhorn.

Percival gave it to him without waiting for the verbal request.

“You are using unregistered weapons tech. Identify yourself,” Pendragon said.

The machine man turned to look at him. 

“Here we go,” Pendragon said.

The metal knight—for what else could it be?—opened its eyes and green light began to emanate from them.

“Down!” Percival shouted, pulling Pendragon behind their car. 

The machine man fired, blowing up one of the other cars and scattering agents.

Satisfied it had diminished the threat, the Green Knight turned and headed for town.  
*****

Gwaine opened his mouth to say something to his friends, then noticed the whirlwind coming down at the edge of town. It was the tell-tale displacement of a Bridge opening in this Realm.

“Um, is someone else coming?” Gwen asked.

Gwaine went outside, his friends following close behind.

“What is it?” Merlin asked.

“Merlin, you need to leave,” Gwaine said, taking his shoulders in his hands.

“What about you?”

“I’m staying here.”

“Gwaine is going to fight with us,” Elyan said.

“My friends, I am just a man here. I would only get in the way or, worse, get you killed. But I can help get these people to safety,” Gwaine said, gesturing to the town. 

“If you’re staying to help, then so am I,” Merlin protested.

He smiled and turned to Elena. “I need you all to buy me some time.”

“We can do that,” Bedivere said.

Gwen looked around, realizing they had drawn a crowd. “Okay, people, get moving. We have to get out of town because some form of hell is coming. Move it!”

Merlin, Gaius, Gwen and Gwaine began moving people into trucks and out of the establishments. Merlin paused when he caught sight of a figure marching toward them.

“Don’t look,” Gwaine said as the knight began blowing up buildings with its green ray.

“What is it?”

“The Green Knight. It is my father’s protector; under Mordred’s control now. Now help me get these children into the van.”

Elena and her companions moved up the street toward the Green Knight. “Keep it distracted,” she said to them before peeling off to find high ground.

“With pleasure,” Gareth replied. He charged the knight, swinging at it with his ax. It swung an arm at him, knocking him into a nearby building. Elyan and Bedivere dove for cover as it blew up a gas station.

Elena jumped down from the roof onto the knight’s back, shoving her spear down through its spine. The Green Knight buckled beneath her, folded in half. She smiled down at her dirty comrades.

“Elena!” Gareth shouted as the knight powered back up and began to shift. 

Elena jumped off it just before it let out a lethal blast aimed at where her race had been. It pulled itself off the spear and fired at Bedivere, he was thrown into the diner. Elyan, Gareth and Elena ran to help him. Elena was a little slower than the others and was smacked by a car that had been blasted by the Green Knight.

Gwaine ran to her and helped her up. “You need to run, Elena.”

“No! I will die a warrior’s death. They will tell stories about me.”

Gwaine cupped her face in his hands. “Live and tell them yourself,” he pleaded.

She looked into his eyes and nodded, handing him her shield. He helped her to her feet and they ran to join Elyan, Bedivere and Gareth.

“My friends, you must return to Lothian and stop Mordred,” Gwaine said.

“What about you?” Elyan asked.

Gwaine smiled. “I have a plan.”

“A good plan or one of your plans?” Elena asked.

“It is a good plan,” he assured her.

They nodded and hurried off. Elena wanted to be sure Gwaine’s mortal friends were protected before they left.

Gwaine tossed Elena’s shield aside and walked toward the Green Knight.

“Wait,” Merlin said, pausing as Elena tried to hurry him, Gwen and Gaius away. “What’s he doing?” Merlin asked. And even as the words left his mouth, he knew. 

Gwaine was being a hero. He was being who and what he was meant to be; and he was doing it to save their lives. He was doing it knowing that it ended only in his death.

“Mordred, brother,” Gwaine said as he approached the knight. “Whatever I have done to wrong you; whatever I have done to lead you to this, I am truly sorry. Forgive me. These people are innocent. Taking their lives gains you nothing.”

Gwaine stopped dead in front of the Green Knight, knowing his brother could see and hear him through the machine. “So take mine. And end this.”

The Green Knight stood still for a moment, before its green light powered down and its eyes closed. The Green Knight turned to walk back the way it had come.

Gwaine breathed a sigh of relief.

The Green Knight turned and swung its arm at Gwaine, catching him high in the chest and flinging him down the street.

“No!” Merlin cried as Gwaine was flung through the air.

Elena found herself reaching out to stop not Merlin, but Gaius, who would have held Merlin back from Gwaine. The shattering realization that she had accepted the loss of Gwaine to another without a second thought left her still for a moment. 

The Green Knight turned away, returning to its master.

Merlin knelt over Gwaine, trying not to cry. “Gwaine?”

“It’s over,” he whispered.

“No. It’s not over. We just have to get you to hospital.”

Gwaine smiled. “You’re safe.”

“You’re safe, too. I promise,” Merlin said, ducking his head to kiss him.

“It’s over,” Gwaine repeated, then closed his eyes.

“No,” Merlin cried, pressing his face to Gwaine’s chest.

Then Elena heard it, the singing of Dragon’s Breath, and she smiled with her entire being and let go of Gaius.

Gaius ran to Merlin and pulled him off Gwaine.

“No!” Merlin shouted.

“Merlin, look!” he said, pointing. 

Merlin gasped as he saw a contrail in the sky, blazing toward them like a comet. He allowed Gaius to pull him back to the others. He stood in shock as he watched Gwaine’s friends grin. What was wrong with these people? 

Merlin turned to look at Gwaine and saw the man’s arm shoot up, his hand open to catch the sword. Merlin couldn’t see much else as another whirlwind came up, complete with lightning and thunder.

“Watch,” Elena said, coming to stand beside him.  
*****

Gwaine laughed in sheer joy as he felt his armor forming around him as he held his sword once again. His impassioned plea to his brother must have proven something to the sword and his father. Perhaps Lot had also heard his words through the Green Knight.

 _Ah, yes, the Green Knight_ , he thought. It had stopped when the surge of magic had returned Dragon’s Breath sword to Gwaine. As much as he was ready for a prolonged fight to work out his unused muscles, he had to return to Lothian before Mordred did something irreparable. He flew up into the air and came down hard on the Green Knight, severing its head from its body.

He dropped gently to the ground and walked back over to Merlin and his friends, the wind dying down behind him.

“Merlin,” he greeted him with a smile.

Merlin flushed. “So, um, is this how you normally look?”

“More or less,” Gwaine admitted.

Merlin grinned. “It’s a _good_ look.”

Gwaine laughed. He then turned to his friends. “We must return to the Bridge. I would have words with my brother.”

A sleek black car pulled up and Agent Pendragon stepped out. “Excuse me, Dr. Green, I don’t think you’ve been completely honest with me,” he said as he stepped up to Gwaine.

“You are correct. And I will tell you all _if_ you return all the items you took—”

“Stole!” Merlin said.

“—from Dr. Emrys.”

Pendragon smiled. “Of course he can have his gear back. He’s going to need it to continue his research.”

“Good. Would you still like to see the Bridge?” he asked Merlin.

“Yes!”

Gwaine wrapped his arm around Merlin and held him tight to his body. “Be well, Son of the Dragon,” he said to Agent Pendragon before taking off.

“Wait! We need to debrief you!”

“Yeah, pretty sure Merlin’s got that covered,” Gwen said. “Son of the Dragon.”

“That’s not what Pendragon _means_ ,” Pendragon growled.

Gwen snorted.

“If you’d met the Dragon, you’d understand why he’s so upset,” Percival explained, choking back a laugh.

 **Part VII**  
Mordred waited in the gatehouse for the Darklings to arrive. Three came through, with two waiting at the gatehouse to guard their escape. He snuck Morgause into the palace, pausing at the end of a large hall.

“This is where I leave you. Lot’s chambers are at the end of this hall. I must be seen elsewhere so no one can accuse me of being involved,” he said.

Morgause nodded and pulled out her knife. “It will be done.”

Mordred smiled and slipped around the corner. 

Morgause hurried down the hall and silently let herself into the king’s chamber. She paused in the shadows for a moment, taking in the scene. Lot was indeed lost in Winter Sleep and his wife napped in her chair beside him.

Revenge at last.  
*****

The Rover pulled up a few minutes after Gwaine and Merlin had landed. Merlin was unsurprised to see Agent Pendragon and his companion climb out after the others. He was surprised to see Bedivere riding on top of the Rover like it was a thrill ride.

“Taliesin! Open the Bridge!” Gwaine shouted.

Elyan, Elena, Gareth and Bedivere stood around him.

“Taliesin! We need to come home!”

“He’s not answering,” Elyan sighed.

“Something must have happened,” Gareth said.

“Then we are stranded,” Gwaine stated.

“Does that mean your brother—” Merlin was cut off as the sky above them darkened.

Gwaine walked over to him and took his hands, making sure Merlin was outside the burned circle. “I must go back now. But I give you my word, I will return for you.”

Merlin nodded, not trusting his voice.

Gwaine pressed a kiss to Merlin’s forehead. Merlin looked up at him and smiled before jumping up to wrap his arms around Gwaine’s neck, kissing him passionately.

“You’d better,” he whispered against Gwaine’s lips once he broke the kiss.

Gwaine laughed and kissed him again, then let go of him to join his friends.

In a flash of rainbow light, they were gone.

“Agent Lewys has refreshments. I suggest we get comfortable,” Agent Pendragon said. “We can debrief while we wait.”

Gwen and Gaius moved to sit in the Rover with the two TABLE agents, but Merlin stayed at the edge of the circle, staring up at the sky.  
*****

Morgause moved forward, hoping to catch the sleeping queen off guard. But Freya was more than just a figurehead; she was a warrior like her husband. As soon as she saw the intruder in her chambers, she pulled out a sword cleverly hidden in the bed’s headboard.

“You,” Freya growled, taking a swing at the Darkling queen.

They fought, sword to knife, until Morgause ducked under the sword and threw Freya, sending her into a wall. The Darkling queen stood over the unconscious Druid, but decided the queen would have to wait.

Morgause climbed onto the bed and hovered over the unconscious Lot. She reached down with her free hand and opened his right eye. “They say you can see and hear all that transpires around you while you Sleep,” she said softly. “I do so hope that is true. I want you to know that your death came at the hand of Morgause,” she said as she raised her knife over her head.

The fatal blow never fell, as Morgause was thrown from the bed by Mordred’s magic. She gasped and looked down at the large burn mark on her side, then up at her attacker.

“And your death comes at the hand of Lot’s son,” Mordred said before sending another bolt of magic at her, obliterating her.

“Mordred!” Freya cried out as she stood. She ran to her son and pulled him into an embrace.  
*****

“Get him to the healers!” Gwaine shouted to his companions as soon as he saw Taliesin slumped against his staff. “I must deal with my brother.” Without waiting for a response, he flew toward the palace.

Elena nodded as they closed the Bridge and tended to Taliesin.

“What happened?” she asked him as they half-carried him away.

“Mordred wrapped me in Darkling magic. It took a while to break the spell and kill my guards,” he explained.

“Good man,” Bedivere said.

Taliesin let out a painful chuckle.  
*****

“Are you all right, Mother?” Mordred asked as he let go of her.

“Yes. You saved your father. Thank you.”

“I swear to you, they will pay for what they have done today.”

“Mordred.”

Mordred and Freya turned to see Gwaine standing in the doorway.

“Gwaine!” Frey said, delighted, as she ran to her eldest son. She wrapped him in a hug. “I knew you’d return.”

Gwaine returned the hug, but never took his eyes off his brother. He carefully let go of his mother and put himself between her and Mordred.

“Are you going to tell her, Mordred?” Gwaine asked.

“Tell me what?”

“Tell you how he sent the Green Knight to kill me and our friends.”

“Mordred?” Freya asked.

Mordred shrugged. “It must have been enforcing a command from Father.”

Gwaine shook his head. “You’ve always been a talented liar, Mordred. But it will not save you now.”

“It’s good to have you back, Gwaine. You must excuse me, though. I must destroy Darkling Wood.” He aimed his staff at Gwaine and sent a bolt of magic at him.

It caught Gwaine in the middle of the chest and knocked him through the hall behind him and out into the open air. Mordred waved to his mother, then disappeared.

He reappeared in the gatehouse and used his staff to start up the Bridge, opening it wide and aiming it at Darkling Wood.  
*****

“Something’s wrong!” Merlin called out, looking at the sky. It was darkening, filling without clouds and lighting in a pattern that wasn’t natural.

“We should pull back,” Gaius said.

“He’s right, Merlin. It’s not safe here,” Gwen added.

“I’m not leaving. He’ll do it,” Merlin said.  
*****

Gwaine flew into the gatehouse and slammed Mordred into a wall.

Mordred flung Gwaine off him and laughed. “You can’t stop it, Gwaine. The power is building and it will rip Darkling Wood apart!”

“Why have you done this?”

“Why? To prove to Father that _I_ am a worthy son. When he wakes from his Sleep, I will have saved his life and destroyed the monsters that have plagued him. I will be his true heir!”

“You can’t commit genocide, Mordred!”

“Why not? And where does this new love for the Darklings come from? Not long ago, you were ready to kill them all with your bare hands and teeth.”

“I’ve changed,” Gwaine said, his tone fierce.

Mordred smiled, the expression cold. “So have I,” he said, then threw Gwaine into a wall.

“I never wanted the throne!” Mordred yelled as Gwaine gained his feet. “I only wanted to be your equal.”

“I will not fight you, brother,” Gwaine said. He refused to unsheathe Dragon’s Breath, though he could feel it vibrating in its scabbard.

“I am not your brother. I never was.”

“Mordred, this is madness. Stop, please.”

“Is it madness? Is it? What did happen to you, Gwaine? You’ve gone soft.”

“I have learned new ways.”

“Don’t say it was that young man.”

Gwaine blanched.

“It was! Perhaps when I am done here, I will pay him a visit myself. See if I can _learn_ anything from him.”

With a roar, Gwaine charged his brother. They flew out onto the bridge leading to the gatehouse, kicking the entire way. Mordred flipped on top of Gwaine, punching him in the face. Gwaine grabbed his brother’s arms and flung him up into the air.

Mordred yelled and caught the edge of the bridge, hanging for dear life. “Brother, please!” he begged.

Gwaine leaned over the edge and reached a hand out to help him. It passed straight through Mordred and he barely had enough time to balance and turn before Mordred appeared behind him and swung at him with his staff.

“Enough!” Gwaine shouted. He unsheathed Dragon’s Breath and swung at his brother. Mordred ducked the blow, but missed Gwaine’s leg swinging out to knock his legs out from under him. The landing knocked the wind out of Mordred. Gwaine set Dragon’s Breath on Mordred’s chest, knowing its weight would hold him down.

“What are you doing?” Mordred asked.

Gwaine ignored him and turned back toward the gatehouse. He walked slowly, working to not get pulled in by the energy being drawn into the core of the Bridge mechanism.

Mordred laughed. “You can’t get close enough. There’s nothing you can do!” he shouted. “Look at you, mighty Sir Gwaine. You have all that strength and it’s useless! There is nothing you can do!”

Gwaine looked back over his shoulder at his brother. Mordred was right; he couldn’t shut down the Bridge. He looked down at his feet. But if he destroyed the bridge to the gatehouse, the mechanism would fall into the void. That would have to do.

He held his hand out and called Dragon’s Breath to him. He raised it up over his head and plunged it into the bridge, causing a crack. He pulled the sword out and repeated the motion, increasing the size of the crack. 

Gwaine heard Mordred yelling, and it took a moment for his brother’s words to penetrate:

“If you destroy the Bridge, you’ll never see him again!”

“Forgive me, Merlin,” Gwaine said as he made the final plunge. _Better he live out of my sight than his life be snuffed out._

The bridge exploded, flinging Gwaine and Mordred up into the air. Gwaine felt like he was falling forever, and he reached out to grab his brother’s staff. Suddenly, he was no longer moving. He had Mordred’s staff in one hand, and Mordred clutched the other end of it. Gwaine looked up carefully and saw King Lot standing at the edge of the bridge in full armor, Gwaine’s ankle caught tightly in his hand.

“I could have done it, Father!” Mordred called. “I could have done it for you. For all of us!”

Lot’s face softened in sadness. “No, Mordred.”

Gwaine watched in horror as Mordred’s face shifted from an expression of hopefulness to despair. “No,” he breathed.

It was too late; Mordred let go of his staff and fell into the void.  
*****

Merlin stared up at the sky as it became perfectly clear. “He did it.”

“He should come back soon then, right?” Gwen asked.

“Yes,” Merlin replied, smiling.

They waited until nightfall, but the Bridge never reappeared.

Merlin camped out at the site that night anyway.  
*****

All of Lothian was celebrating King Lot’s awakening from his Winter Sleep. The absence and actions of Mordred were carefully overlooked during the festivities. Freya smiled as she moved through the great hall, watching her son’s friends and her people celebrate.

She came to the edge of the hall to find Lady Elena watching two men on the far balcony; Gwaine and Lot.

“My queen, I am so sorry for your loss,” Elena said when the queen stopped beside her.

The queen reached out and squeezed her arm gently. Elena couldn’t look her in the eye; couldn’t see the, _And I for yours_ , written there. For although Gwaine had come back to them, he had left his heart back on that small planet, with the boy with the funny ears. And from his tireless efforts to work with Taliesin and their most gifted mages, it was clear Gwaine was doing everything he could to return to the Realm of Kobol.

Instead of replying, Elena offered the queen her arm and led her back to her throne in the great hall.  
*****

“I am proud of you, my son. One day, you shall be a great king,” Lot said as he and Gwaine watched the sunset.

“One day. But not for a very long time.” He turned and smiled at his father. “I still have much to learn of other Realms.”

Lot returned the smile. “Then you’d best go see if you can assist Taliesin in any way. You cannot neglect your lessons.”

Gwaine laughed and clapped his father on the shoulder before going off to do just that.

 **Epilogue**  
“Can you see him?”

Taliesin smiles at the question. He can, indeed, see Merlin. He sees Merlin as he sets up another experiment, another attempt to find Gwaine. He sees Gwen and Gaius and others scatter to do Merlin’s bidding. He sees the universe shift and struggle to make the Bridge whole again. He sees all.

“Yes,” is what he says to Gwaine.

“How is he?”

“He searches for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Extra points for spotting all the references to other sci fi shows! And I know I switched tenses in the Epilogue, but it seemed fitting. I hope it didn't jar anyone too greatly.


End file.
